Elaine Hume Peake

Elaine Hume Peake was born on Aberdeen Proving Ground in Aberdeen, Maryland, the site of the first United States Army Bomb Disposal testing and training base. Here her father, Captain Edward Hume learned the fundamentals of BD and became part of the first American army ordnance squads of World War II, setting the stage for the origins of the historical drama series, “The Kaboom Boys”.

Elaine studied journalism/mass communications at Towson State University leading her to a multi-year career in television news. She received multiple journalism awards including Emmys and the George Foster Peabody Award for her 9/11 coverage. 

In 2019, Elaine completed “The Kaboom Boys” as a feature-length screenplay when, during the pandemic via LinkedIn, she was introduced to 96-year-old French woman Michelle Desrues who knew her father during the summer of 1944. Hearing stories of her as a precociously brave nineteen-year-old, Michelle inspired Elaine to write how Michelle befriended Edward and two other U. S. Army captains. During hot summer days Captain Hume and his squad handled multiple bombs and deadly devices throughout Normandy while at night the foursome, along with her extended family, enjoyed memorable dinners. Elaine developed a close multi-year friendship with Michelle who died in her 100th year in 2023 yet lived on as the character Hélène Leriche.

Elaine lives in Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee with her husband Christopher where she writes and has been enjoying life with their precious golden retriever Lucia.